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Individual Grape and Vin Santo Cakes

When I saw this in Gourmet magazine several months ago, I knew I had to make it. I knew it would be fabulous and the rest is history.

What I didn’t know is I would decide to make these Individual Grape and Vin Santo Cakes on a day when temperatures outside would climb to 90 degrees. It was a little hot from the oven, but oh well. It was worth it.

Now you are saying, what is Vin Santo?

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Well, it’s one of my favorite Italian dessert wines originating from Tuscany. Vin Santo does have a dry version but I prefer the sweet. Made from Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes, I love sipping Vin Santo while dunking almond biscotti into the wine. This is the classic way to serve it. You have to try it.

Vin Santo can be pricey as the grapes are hand-picked, hung from rafters in a building and dried. Once dried they are pressed and the juice fermented in caratelli (small-cigar shaped barrels). After fermentation is complete the caratelli are sealed and placed under the winery roof for aging….for a long time. The result, is an amazing nutty-nectar that warms you as it goes down.

So you see, I had to make this cake with the beloved Vin Santo.

If you are looking for an elegant, grown-up dessert…especially if you are serving an Italian meal…but even if you are not…make this. It is intoxicating in taste, tender in texture and sports a crisp, sugary crust. The addition of the grapes help play up the Vin Santo. It’s a good, good thing.

If you can serve this warm, out of the oven, you will be rewarded with the aroma of the nutty Vin Santo and delicate wafts of orange zest. It’s haunting. As you eat this and sip the remaining Vin Santo you will feel like you are having an experience. Of some kind. It is still fabulous at room temperature you just don’t get the wafting aroma experience.

Beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter with 2/3 cup granulated sugar using an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy; about three minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the zest of one orange.

Add flour mixture in batches alternating with wine, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just incorporated. DO NOT OVERMIX!

Toss grapes with remaining Tablespoon of flour, then fold into batter.

Divide the batter among 6 jumbo muffin cups that have been generously buttered and floured or sprayed with a floured cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch.

Cool in pan 5 minutes, then CAREFULLY (the cake is tender) loosen with a knife and remove the cakes. Cool to warm.

Dust with powdered sugar and serve with more Vin Santo!

It’s killing me knowing there is one left in my kitchen. Waiting for me. Calling to me.

Beat butter with granulated sugar using an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy; about three minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the zest of one orange.

Add flour mixture in batches alternating with wine, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just incorporated. DO NOT OVERMIX! Toss grapes with remaining Tablespoon of flour, then fold into batter.

Divide the batter among 6 jumbo muffin cups that have been generously buttered and floured or sprayed with a floured cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then CAREFULLY (the cake is tender) loosen with a knife and remove the cakes. Cool to warm.

What a delightful splurge! Your little cakes look and sound so wonderful! My aunt makes lovely little cookies using Vin Santo. Don’t know the official name, but we call them wine biscuits. They’re kind of dense and not very sweet. Perfect for dunking in coffee!

I love seeing recipes that use standard seedless grapes. I made a grape pie last year because I was searching for something to do with them, and I’ve learned they cooke beautifully. This is lovely, and I can’t wait to serve it.

i saw this recipe too and flagged it. this is the kind of cake i dream of… real vin santo is so damn pricey around here though… and to use nearly 6oz in the cake itself. ouch. but really, i would and i might…

At first glance with the first pic, I thought this was a post on a type of creme brulee. 😉 These are beautiful. I like the grape peep shows and I’d really like to try Vin Santo, because I like a sweeter dessert wine.

You know what’s funny, when I saw the recipe in the magazine, I was like, “ooooooooooooooooooooooh!”. And I don’t even really like vin santo but I’ll learn to like it, damn it, just to try one of these.

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HI! I’M CATHY.

Hi! I’m Cathy. I’ve escaped from a peculiar
Northern California college town that built an
underground tunnel to save toads from the
potentials of vehicular frog-slaughter. I now
live in Mcminnville, Oregon where my husband
and I have planted a vineyard, started a winery
and make wine in the heart of Oregon wine
country. I love mayonnaise, butter and
Jewish men. Barry, Jerry and Larry come to
mind. Gluttony is my sin of choice. Welcome
to my weird and wonderful world.